Punched-card controller for washing machines and the like



Jan. 5, 1965 s. LEUENBERGER 3,164,692

PUNCHED-CARD CONTROLLER FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 15, 1962 2f INVENTOR Gatt fried Leuenbeger ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,164,692 PUNCHED-CARD CONTROLLER FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Gottfried Leuenberger, Schlieren, Zurich, Switzerland, as-

signor to Maschinenfabrik Ad. Schulthess & C0. A.G.,

Zurich, Switzerland, a firm Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 216,540 7 Claims. (Cl. 20046) Known punched-card controllers for washing machines and the like, comprising a plurality of aligned make-andbreak contact balls which feel the punched card and act through same, and a toothed transport wheel, require a punched-card hold-down roller with fall-in grooves for the contact balls as well as a special locking mechanism in the start stop-position. A further disadvantage is the fact that the impact of the punched card against the transport wheel when introducing the card, is relatively hard and causes premature wear thereof. A still further inconvenience is the fact that such known controllers owing to the plurality of requisite components not only require relatively much room but also are expensive.

My present invention relates to an improved punchedcard controller in which for the purpose of eliminating said disadvantages and saving space in the controller width, the contact balls are arranged in a plurality of series-connected rows which extend transversely to the direction of transport and which are offset with respect to each other. To attain the necessary ball-action path through the card perforations and to make possible the action of the transport wheel, take-up points are provided in the cover plate which is disposed on theguide plate. To obviate the hard impact when introducing the punchedc-ard, the transport wheel is pivoted to swingingly held in the sense of the direction of transport, and thereby the punched card is insertable entirely into the guide means to produce the correct starting position.

One form of the invention is shown by way of example in the drawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of the unit including the punched card inserted into the start position,

FIG. 2 shows a sideview thereof, partly in section,

FIG. 3 depicts a top plan view of the unit with inserted punched card, and

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section on the line IVIV of FIG. 3. 1

The punched-card handling unit shown comprises a guide plate 1 to the underside of which is screwed, in a depression 2, the unit casing 3. Plate 1 is screwed to the machine housing, the unit casing portion disposed thereon projecting through an opening into the machine interior. To the top of plate 1 is secured, by means of screws 5, a cover plate 4 which by means of angularly depending longitudinal marginal portions 4 that extend beyond plate 1 lengthwise thereof. Between the two plates 1 and 4 is a guide space fitting the cross-section of a punched card 6, which space in its forward portion comprises an enlarged opening 1 for introducing thecard 6 which controls the desired washing program. In bores 7 of plate 1 are guided make and break contact balls 8 which on one hand coact with program control holes 9 in the punched card 6, passing therethrough to be engaged in pressed-out indentations 10 of cover plate 4, and on the other hand pass through corresponding openings of the casing bottom to abut against control element 11 of switches 12 which are mounted on the underside of guide plate 1. The balls 8 are actuated through the holes 9 in known manner by the transport movement of the punched card, said elements being actuated by the balls 8. For transporting the card 6 there is a transport wheel 13 of plastic 'materialwhich passes through a slot 14 in plate 1 (FIG. 4) and of which the rounded teeth mesh with 3,164,692 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 perforations 15 of card 6 that serve as counterteeth. Sufficient engagement of wheel 13 in card 6 is ensured by an oblong pressed-out indentation 16 in plate 1, the teeth of wheel 13 projecting through the perforations 15 into this take-up space. The axle pin 17 of transport wheel 13 is mounted on a pivotal member 18 which is pivotable on the pin 19 of a two-rim gear 29, 21. Pin 19 is secured to a sidewall 3 of unit casing 3 that serves as hearing shield, and is formed as necked-down screw bolt passing through said shield in a bore and being secured by a nut 19. The smaller rim gear 20 meshes with wheel 13, and the larger rim-gear 21 with a driving gear 22. The latter is driven by a backward-travel brake and an electric motor disposed in unit casing 3, as soon as the machine is started. An arm 18 of pivotal member 18 is engaged by a tension spring 24 which tends to turn the member 18 in the sense of arrow a to urge wheel 13 into contact with card 6. An inwardly projecting end 17' of transportwheel axle pin 17 serves for limiting the pivotal path of member 18, which end protrudes into an opening 25 of shield 3'. The fulcrum of member 18 is chosen so that on insertion of card 6 into the card-guide of the unit, the latter is moved away from the card in the sense of arrow b (FIG. 2), Le. in the direction of transport and oblique. On reaching the start position of the punched card (FIGS. 1 to 3) motor 23 is started and by means of the gears 22, 21 and 2i), drive wheel 13 advances the card in the direction of the arrow 0 in FIG. 2. When drawing-out card 6 in the direction of arrow 0, wheel 13 is swung downwardly at an angle in the sense of arrow 15, whereby the draw-out operation is facilitated. Through the action of the backward-travel brake which acts on the axle of the driving wheel, the punched card is prevented from being pushed back, and thu the switching operations cannot take place in a retrograde sense which would lead to operating troubles and breakdowns. By arranging the control balls 8 in two successive rows which are offset relatively to each other transversely to the direction of transport, space is saved in the width of the control unit.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A punched-card controller for washing machines and the like, comprising a unit casing having a top wall, a guide plate and a cover plate therefor at the upper side of the unit casing with a space therebetween for the passage of a punched card, a depending side wall on the unit casing, a plate pivotally mounted on the side wall, a toothed transport wheel mounted on the pivoted plate, said top wall of the unit casing, and guide and cover plates having transversely aligned openings therein, make and break contact balls in said openings with the openings and balls offset relative to each other, ball take-up points in the cover plate aligned with the perforations in the punched card, switch devices operated by said contact balls and electrical means for operating the switch devices.

2. A punched-card controller as set out in claim 1,

wherein said ball take-up points in the cover plates have 4. A punched-card controller as set out in claim l,

33 wherein an oblong indentation is provided in said cover plate as a take-up point for accommodating the teeth of said transport wheel for the purpose of allowing said teeth to pass through the perforations of said punched card.

5. A punched-card controller as set out in claim 1 with an axle pin for said transport wheel mounted on the pivoted plate.

6. A punched-card controller as set out in claim 5,

"8 wherein said pivoted plate is spring-loaded to urge said transport wheel resiliently against said punched card.

7. A punched-card controller as set out in claim 5, wherein a protruding portion of said pivotal plate projects into an opening of a bearing shield and by abutment therein limits the swing of said pivoted plate.

No references cited. 

1. A PUNCHED-CARD CONTROLLER FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A UNIT CASING HAVING A TOP WALL, A GUIDE PLATE AND A COVER PLATE THEREFOR AT THE UPPER SIDE OF THE UNIT CASING WITH A SPACE THEREBETWEEN FOR THE PASSAGE OF A PUNCHED CARD, A DEPENDING SIDE WALL ON THE UNIT CASING, A PLATE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE SIDE WALL, A TOOTHED TRANSPORT WHEEL MOUNTED ON THE PIVOTED PLATE, SAID TOP WALL OF THE UNIT CASING, AND GUIDE AND COVER PLATES HAVING TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED OPENINGS THEREIN MAKE AND BREAK CONTACT BALLS IN SAID OPENINGS WITH THE OPENINGS AND BALLS OFFSET RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, BALL TAKE-UP POINTS 